Aftermath

by Jenna-Lynne Duncan

Were the two related? “Um, yeah,” I said, distracted.

  He nodded. “We’ve sorted this out. Christian won’t be anywhere near here and neither will Luke. Ana, I won’t let anything happen. ”

  Although his words were comforting. He still had yet to touch me or hold me. I didn’t even think to share with him the connection I'd made with the two dreams. It was a completely foreign feeling to me as I had always told Hayden the first thing in my mind. But suddenly, the distance between us that I felt earlier seemed to magnify.

  I exhaled. “I know,” I nodded, trying to convince myself. “Let’s go.” I was glad Hayden couldn’t see behind my mask. I knew now that in the underworld there were no coincidences. And I may be walking into a trap but what else could I have done? Run away? I couldn’t do that anymore. I had to figure it out. Somewhere inside me, I was a Hunter and the very definition of a hunter is to search for, to pursue.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  What a disaster.

  I was walking in one of the most beautifully decorated, historic theatres in the world, holding the arm of the greatest guy in the world. I was at my school’s masked ball, about to meet my best friends, and I was dressed like a queen. It should have been the perfect evening. Except, everything felt like it was crashing down. The “beautifully decorated theatre” was haunted, the guy whose arm I was holding was cold to me, at least one of my best friends was a voodoun, and Queen? Well, I was just informed that I was a full-blooded hunter and Queen of the Underworld.

  Ugh.

  I forced a smile as I walked by a group of familiar students, desperately trying to hang on to the first illusion. That I was just at a normal school function, with my normal friends and my normal boyfriend.

  I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and I took a few deep breaths to slow my heart beat. Hayden looked at me uneasily and I turned my attention away from him and towards the scene around me.

  I needed to appreciate this.

  I loved the decorations. The dark blue and white scarves that hung from the ceiling gave the theatre a darkly romantic feel. There were round tables with matching tableware in the same colors in the lobby. A small stage they had set up was empty; most of the tables were, too, and we passed by them as we walked out to the populated courtyard. Music streamed through the French doors and I saw the sway of fine gowns and tuxedos. The courtyard had been rearranged since I had been here a few days ago. Room was made for dancing and garden benches lined with ivy and flowers were set up. Lanterns lined the balcony and starry lights lit the plants. I looked straight up to the dark blue sky, the perfect backdrop and the perfect weather for a night like this.

  I wanted to enjoy this but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t shake the nagging feeling. This evening was supposed to be fun. It wasn’t supposed to be about anything supernatural. No hunters, no voodouns, no ghosts. Just Hayden, Nikki, Marie and I as normal students.

  Hayden and I stopped walking when we got inside the courtyard. I looked at the intimate embrace of couples dancing to the gentle fusion of jazz and modern singing. I smiled longingly then shifted uncomfortably next to Hayden. “I'd better find Nikki and Marie,” I said after Hayden stood there, seeming completely unaffected by the silence between us.

  He nodded and I left, weaving through students until I caught a glimpse of familiar dark hair.

  “Ana!” Nikki called out from behind me just as I reached Marie. I turned around to find her in the arm of a freshman and looking well into her twenties in a purple sequined gown with black smoky eyes behind a matching mask.

  I hugged her, my heart swelling with pleasure. “You look gorgeous!”

  “Oh this old thing?” She mockingly waved the compliment away with her hand. And I smiled, happy that she was happy. “Look at you, are you kidding me? How you managed to make a creepy antique dress gorgeous is beyond me!”

  I elbowed her. “It’s not creepy.” Then I leaned toward her to whisper, “I see you've found a date.”

  She shrugged, with a secret smile. “Marie!” she remembered, and we both turned toward her talking to a group of people.

  Now, Nikki leaned into me. “Wow, voodoo looks good on her.”

  I elbowed her playfully again. But she was right. Marie looked new. She wore her hair up elegantly and a simple white floor-length gown. The only jewelry she wore were dangling chandelier earrings that complimented her bare neck. It was the boldest outfit I had even seen her wear but, most of all, she looked confident in it.

  I smiled at Nikki’s comment.

  “Hey y’all.” She hugged us both at the same time.

  Nikki felt the skirt of Marie’s dress, “I love this.”

  “You look beautiful, Marie,” I agreed.

  “Thank you, you guys!” she beamed, definitely not looking like she had just destroyed a demon the night before. “I see you rounded up a date, Nikki! And here I thought we were all going as friends.” Marie pointed a look at the tall boy behind Nikki with sandy blonde hair.

  Nikki’s mouth popped open to protest.

  Marie cut her off. “I’m kidding! It’s fine.” She turned her attention on me. “Where’s Hayden, I thought he was coming?”

  I adjusted my mask nervously, grateful that I was wearing it. “He’s by the lobby. I just left him to find y’all.”

  “I heard Stephanie is a no-show!” Nikki changed the subject, whispering conspiringly.

  Marie and I just looked at each other wide eyed, forgetting that she hadn’t known what happened last night.

  Should we tell her? I looked at Nikki who was smiling with childlike joy. I shook my head inconspicuously at Marie. Nikki should just be able to enjoy her night and not have to have that plague her thoughts like it was plaguing mine.

  “Y…Yeah, well that will be good for our next Queen,” Marie recovered.

  “Queen?” A sophisticated voice joined our conversation.

  We turned toward the sound.

  “Oh, hi Miss Vitale,” Marie didn’t miss a beat.

  Nikki gave a tight smile, then looked back at me with wide eyes. I could just hear her asking why a chaperone was interrupting our fun. She didn’t know who she was, she just thought she was some teacher. Of course, why would she think otherwise?

  I swallowed and looked at Rachel. “What are you doing here?” I wondered what happened to the “time to adjust” I thought she’d given me. And I was a little annoyed that I now had something else to keep from Nikki.

  She gave me an innocent smile, “I’m chaperoning.”

  Oh. So when she left my house earlier, she already knew she would be at the dance tonight.

  I blew out a breath and Nikki looked at me funnily. Clearly, I was in no position to argue with her. “Nice to see you again,” I tried to dismiss her.

  She ignored my send-off and asked, “Are you girls having a good time?”

  My heart twinged a little, it was something a mother would say. I thought maybe I had been too hard on her. No, not after everything.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Marie answered for us. “I’m going to get something to drink, does anyone want anything?” Marie asked Nikki and I. Was she intentionally making her escape? She was unreadable, I couldn’t tell.

  I frowned. “No, thank you Marie.”

  “Nikki won’t you join me?”

  “No, thanks. What? Ow—ohh… Yes, I am actually quite thirsty.” Marie was standing a little too close to Nikki and I knew at some point during her words Marie must have pinched her arm. I shot them both a traitorous look and then watched as Nikki followed Marie, happily walking away, with a little too much relief.

  When they had successfully crossed the courtyard to the lobby, I saw a smile tug on Rachel’s lips. “I’ve always liked her.”

  I titled my chin. “So have I.” I knew she was being nice, but the way she said it had so much more meaning.

  “Adriana…”

  There she went again…scolding me.

  I let out an exasperated breath. I was getting t
ired. She looked down at her feet, letting the aura of power that was her true self slip and leaving her looking wounded.

  “So…” I looked everywhere but her. She would not make me feel guilty.

  “I really hadn’t planned on coming tonight, even though I wanted to,” she gave a nervous laugh. “But they really needed volunteers. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of this magical night you’re so adamant about having.”

  I could imagine it was hard to understand why this was so important to me. When you are immortal—and royalty, I can imagine how irrelevant it all could seem. Then I thought of Hayden. He understood. I looked to where I had left him by the lobby only to find he was no longer there. My heart sped up as I looked around the room for him.

  Rachel picked up on that. “See, Adriana. This infatuation you have with each other isn’t going to last forever. That’s why I want you to come home. We’ve wasted enough time.”

  My throat ached. “You don’t know Hayden.”

  “But I know you.”

  I whipped toward her, “Do you?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “You know me under false pretenses. You aren’t the person I thought you were and neither am I.”

  “It was the only way I could stay close to you and still keep you safe. Do you know how hard it was for me to be in your life but not really in your life?”

  “Do you know how hard it was for me to not have a mother? Oh wait, you did know, because I told you nearly everything.” I looked around me, hoping no heads were turned because of my outburst. Couples continued to glide to the euphoric jazz, booming from the speakers around the courtyard. I turned toward the sound of laughter that was coming from a group of students and teachers alike. No one had heard our disagreement; no one seemed bothered by anything at all. They were just happy. I turned back to Rachel, biting my lips to keep it from quivering.

  “Adriana…” her voice was calm and controlled. “You have no idea what’s at stake. Everything I did, I did to protect you. You are royalty. There are many people who want you dead, who would love to see our family fall.”

  I flinched. It was never easy hearing that there were people that wanted you dead. “The Vasquez?”

  “I am talking about the entire Underworld. Well, the rogues at least. The ones who don’t want to coexist with humans. The ones who are at a great disadvantage if someone predicts their transgressions before they happen and is able to stop them.”

  “So being a princess or queen—or whatever I am-- there will always be people after me?” I had come to accept that already. When we thought I was human, Hayden told me that being with him would mean people would want us apart.

  Her lips quirked. “Well, we are not completely defenseless.”

  “Ha.”

  “And I can teach you. I can train you to use your skills so you will be completely untouchable.”

  “Like you?” I asked carelessly and adjusted my mask. I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation here.

  “There are people after you, Adriana. People are finding out about you thanks to the Boudreaux. Pretty soon it won’t just be one diving accident here and there. It will come at you full force.”

  “What do you have against them?” I studied her. “And yes, the dive accident. Where were you then?”

  “You have to know I would never truly let anything happen to you. Luke was there.”

  “Oh, so they are only good enough when it comes to protecting me?” I scoffed mockingly.

  “Think about how you felt underwater that night. Scared. Helpless. Hoping for a savior?”

  My forehead creased as I thought about it. She was right. I felt defenseless. And I hated it.

  “You will never have to feel that way again.”

  I looked away, running my fingers across the leaves of the nearest fern. “I’m not sure.” I couldn’t stay angry with her forever. But in a way I was not yet ready to forgive her, either.

  “I could help you and you could help me.”

  I looked at her, her brown eyes looking surprisingly vulnerable. “Help you?” How would I be able to help her?

  “You could help me be a mother again…”

  My heart leaped. How long had I wished to hear that? A sliver of hope started to form inside me. I could live with her and still go to school and see Hayden. We could even ride to school together in the mornings—

  “…and stay away from the Boudreauxes.”

  Wait, what? “What makes you think I’d want that?”

  “I’m just trying to do what’s best for you.”

  Just when I thought we were on the same page… just when I thought things were starting to mend…“I am so tired of arguing about this. Hayden was here for me when you weren’t. I love him and I won’t abandon him.”

  She looked at me with the same amount of stubbornness I was giving her. “But will he not abandon you?”

  I sucked in a breath, gasping like I had just been punched in the stomach. I blinked fast to try to hold back angry tears. I thought of a million retorts but instead I just turned on my heel and walked away. Rachel hadn’t stopped me.

  I furiously looked around the lobby for Hayden. He had been acting so cold to me and now he had disappeared? “But will he not abandon you?” My mother’s words haunted me. I finally went back into the courtyard and leaned against a pillar in defeat. I hung my head but refused to shed any tears over the argument with my mother—Rachel. When had I started to refer to her as otherwise?

  “It’s your party, you can cry if you want to,” a surprisingly gentle voice beckoned me.

  A gasp escaped me and a smile tugged on my lips. “What are you doing here?” My eyes lit up at the sight of Luke in a tux. He was cleaned up, his hat gone and his hair charmingly slicked. With his hat not casting shadows over his eyes, they looked incredibly bright. Flecks of emerald swirled with a honey brown.

  “I am hoping your dance card isn’t full.” He gave me a brilliant, boyish smile.

  I snorted. If I could only find my date. Then I remembered I didn’t want him here. “You promised me you wouldn’t be here.”

  “And you promised me that we could be friends and yet you ignore me. I figured this was the only way to get you to talk to me.” He was still playful.

  Luke. I gave a little sigh. Stop having a crush on him! I ordered myself harshly. But like before, just as I was feeling lonely and about to lose it, he was there for me.

  He looked down at me in a way that made me hold my breath. “One dance. And then I’ll leave.”

  I looked around the courtyard and into the lobby one last time. My mouth twisted as I thought about it; Hayden was still nowhere to be found.

  I shook my head, “I can’t.”

  His smile fell. “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Both.” Where was Hayden to whisk me away?

  “Stop looking for Hayden, he’s not here,” Luke couldn’t hide the irritation in his voice.

  “What do you mean he’s not here?”

  “I saw him rushing out of here before I came.”

  My throat tightened. “He wouldn’t leave me here.” He must have had a very good reason.

  “I don’t care what you are, Ana. My feelings for you haven’t changed since I found out what/who you are.”

  “I wish everyone would just stop telling me how to feel!” My fists were in balls at my side. I was annoyed that the things my mother and now Luke were feeding me contradicted what I knew about Hayden. I knew him, I trusted him. I was tired of doubting it and tired of the struggle between what I saw and how I felt. Because even though I knew Hayden loved me, his actions said otherwise.

  “Then don’t think,” his hand slipped into mine as he pulled me to the dance floor, “just feel.” He pulled me flush up against his body and it was the closest we’d been since our kiss.

  “Luke…” I protested as one of his hands entwined with mine while the other slid to the small of my back.

  “Just one dance,”
he shushed me, “and then I’ll leave.”

  I looked around me, to the balcony this time. One dance would be harmless. I had yet to sense Christine and Mr. Christian wouldn’t be here. My abilities as a Hunter weren’t developed yet. Those dreams were probably just a fluke. For the first time in a while, I had hope.

  “Just one dance, then I have to find Nikki and Marie.”

  He looked down at me with a triumphant smile that was dripping with pure male satisfaction.

  My fingers dug into his shoulders and he twirled me with him.

  A blush spread across my cheeks as I clumsily stepped on his feet. “Sorry. I’m not a very good dancer.”

  “You don’t have to be. All you need is a really great lead. Luckily, I am.”

  A laugh escaped my lips as he continued to lead us.

  “It’s good to see you smiling and laughing. I haven’t seen that Ana for a while.”

  Consequently my smile fell. “Yeah, well, there’s kind of a lot going on in my life.”

  He tried to start talking again, but I cut him off, afraid of where this was going. “Did you want to talk or did you want to dance?”

  “Both.” He gave me that crooked, playful smile again. “The best part of dancing is,” then he leaned in to whisper in my ear, “that you can do this.”

  I tried to pull back, to put space between us but he held me in place with an unrelenting grip.

  “You can talk intimately, whisper seductive things into your partner’s ear without the room suspecting a thing. You have an excuse to touch each other, to be close, to have your bodies move in unison. And it’s all wrapped up in a socially acceptable package.”

  I swallowed. “Or dancing can be a performance, an act if you will. Giving the ability of the dancer to be someone else if not just for the length of a song. It’s also a courtesy, one that when asked of properly should not be refused. Much like a handshake. But when it’s over, you part your ways, leaving behind any connection you had with it.”

  I felt his deep laugh against my body. “But much like other things… you never forget your first dance.”

  I realized he was right. This was my first dance. And it was supposed to be with Hayden. It was supposed to be our first dance. I felt cold as Luke finally released me and stepped back. I looked up at him, my forehead puckered in confusion until I realized the song had ended and our dance was over.